&Company's entrance is eye catching with its hulking door flanked by fire, imagine Spiceroute moved to the suburbs. Inside the restaurant is massive filled with plenty of tables (great for large parties) and booths that will soon be converted for bottle service patrons.
But on this visit I was here to try their revamped
menu, made by Executive Chef Ron Stratton, which has took a
traditional turn towards starter, main and dessert options. With his 20+
years of experience in the restaurant industry, he wanted the menu to offer familiar options but elevated to a higher gastronomic level. Whatever you order, portion sizes are generous
so lends itself for sharing as well.
The pappardelle ($19) is a perfect dinner to have before
transitioning into their night time entertainment. The house made egg pasta was just
al dante enough and comingles with ribbons of zucchini and carrots in a savoury
oven-roasted tomato sauce. The dish is hearty enough to counteract vodka
bottles yet light enough to help you avoid a food gut afterwards. I enjoyed the
thinly sliced Fresno chilies sprinkled on top adding a hint of heat without
overpowering the dish itself.
On the other end of the spectrum is the hickory smoked burger ($27),
a mammoth 8oz stuffed beef patty topped with an egg, onion frizzles and
thick slices of candy coated smoked bacon. With the thick wedges of crispy
potatoes on the side this is filling and may leave some breathing heavy but
likely very satisfied. In my opinion, it would have been better if the fries
were thinner and less dense to contrast the heaviness of the burger. But,
despite their large size, they still had a nice crunchy coating on top.
In the middle of the patty is a sizeable portion of hickory smoked
mozzarella that simply oozes out of the juicy meat. Eat through it or swirl it
around the fries, this is definitely a burger for cheese lovers.
&Company also has a variety of appetizers that make great
shared plates. The duck confit poutine ($18) comprised of potato wedges covered
with marinated cheese curds, tons of tender pulled duck, crispy onion frizzles
and enough tarragon gravy. I enjoyed that it wasn’t overly salty but
could have been even better if the cheese were sprinkled between the fries to
give them more heat to melt. When I have poutine it’s the gooey mess of cheese
with gravy covering the fries that I crave.
For dessert, my friend and I shared the espresso vanilla beignets
($11) and sharing is a must for this dessert as they arrive five to an order. At
first they looked ominously big and dense, not like the pillowy ones I recall
from Café du Monde.
Upon biting into the pastry I was pleasantly surprised to
find the light airy centre, perfect for dipping into the thick espresso crème
anglaise on the side. &Company should consider dusting these with powdered
sugar in lieu of the granulated sugar as the larger granules just don’t stick
quite as well and leaves a gritty texture against these delicate desserts.
&Company has a great mantra “Life’s better when you’re in good company”. I completely agree with this as a meal just isn't the same if you’re not with loved ones. So, after a delicious meal, what could be better than enjoying some drinks and dancing the night away with friends to burn off those excess calories?
Disclaimer: The meal was provided on a complimentary basis, but rest assured the opinions are honest.
How To Find Them
Location: Mississauga, Canada
Address: 295 Enfield Place
Address: 295 Enfield Place
Website: http://www.andcompany.ca/
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
